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Unconventional Genius sets out to broadcast influential ideas and progressive business stories through the minds and voices of some of the most prolific names in the tech, CE, publishing, and professional world. Each week Max Borges, Founder & CEO of Max Borges Agency, speaks with industry leaders to unveil motivational narratives on how they found success. Listeners can anticipate learning business tips and tricks relevant to their own professions and life goals, while also having the chance to witness how most stories of triumph are truly “unconventional.”

Max Borges is the host of Unconventional Genius and the Founder and CEO of Max Borges Agency, a communications agency that works exclusively with consumer technology clients. The Max Borges Agency has launched thousands of consumer tech products. To learn more, check out: www.maxborgesagency.com

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Scott Steinberg: Conquering Fear And Building Success In Life And Business

Feb 8, 2018

Fear is one of the most pronounced and debilitating emotions human beings face. It holds us back in all kinds of scenarios, large and small - from saying “Hi” to a stranger to starting a business. Therefore, conquering fear is one of the most important skills anyone can learn and my guest on this episode, Scott Steinberg continually addresses the issue in almost everything he writes. On this episode of Unconventional Genius, you’ll hear Scott’s recommendations for beating fear, stepping into the unknown, and making a difference in the world.

The one primary difference between those who succeed and those who don’t

Scott Steinberg believes there is one thing that separates those who are successful from the people who aren’t: a failure to act. Those who succeed step out to try new things and overcome obstacles whereas those who don’t succeed are afraid of taking action. Whether these individuals fear failure, or success, or embarrassment, or something else - it’s clear that if their fear could be conquered, so could the obstacles that keep them from building something great. Scott says that you cannot allow fear to hold you back and that taking initiative is the key to overcoming it. Please, take the time to hear what this seasoned entrepreneur and innovator shares about conquering fear, on this episode.

The key to overcoming the fear of failure is to fail more

Failure is going to happen. It’s part of the way the world works and the process by which we human beings learn. With every failure comes the opportunity to learn: Why did our attempts not work? What can we try that might work next time? Is there a new way to approach the issue? With these things in mind, Scott Steinberg says we need to be failing fast, often, and efficiently - and in a way that you can constantly be bouncing back and learning from the failure.  Listen to this episode to hear how Scott applies these principles and conquers failure.

Purposefully deviate from your normal path in order to find and conquer undetected fears

We all have big fears that are obvious to us, but they are not the fears that typically derail us. It’s the smaller fears we often don’t even know about that demotivate us and keep us from moving forward. When I asked Scott how to handle those kinds of fears, he referred to a concept that his friend, David Perry pointed out to him: The first step is always the hardest. Overcoming fear is possible by keeping your radar up (trying to be aware of when the fear shows up) and by intentionally putting yourself into contexts that are outside what is normal for you. That one step enables you to slowly grow your tolerance in the areas where you are afraid. You’re taking the first step in a controlled manner that pushes you to conquer the fear instead of giving into it.

Anything you want to do can be done... and the barrier to entry is lower than ever

In his book, “The Business Expert’s Guidebook,” Scott Steinberg points out that when it comes to starting a business, the barrier to entry is lower than ever. Stories abound of people who started a now-successful business on their kitchen table or over coffee at a local cafe. There are cost-effective and clever ways to get things off the ground without having to break the bank. I personally began my business without a penny and 15 years later have seen it grow to over $10 million in revenue, without borrowing any capital at all. It’s absolutely possible for you to do the same if you’re willing to take action and conquer your fear. It only takes time, energy, and a dedication to learn and grow.   

Topics Featured In This Episode

  • [0:05] The things you’ll learn from this conversation with Scott Steinberg
  • [3:35] Major takeaways from Scott’s book “Make Change Work For You”
  • [6:34] Why big fears are not as big a problem as small fears
  • [9:26] How Scott came to write his book, “Millennial Marketing”
  • [12:56] Overcoming the urge to over-inform prospects and customers
  • [15:46] How millennials are fashioning their own MBA programs
  • [21:06] Insights from “The Business Expert’s Guidebook” and “The Crowdfunding Bible”
  • [26:32] What’s appropriate behavior in a new digital world?
  • [31:58] Scott’s current work to equip entrepreneurs and businesses

Resources & People Mentioned

Connect with Scott Steinberg

Connect With Max Borges